• • •

Medicare, the U.S. program for the elderly and disabled, said payments for hospital admissions would fall $756 million next year as penalties stiffen for patients who return too early. Payments for inpatient services at about 3,400 acute-care hospitals will be cut about 0.6 percent in 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a regulatory filing,

including reductions in funding for hospitals who provide care for many low-income patients, those with too many patients who contract infections while admitted and higher penalties for readmissions within 30 days. The Obama administration has applauded reduced Medicare spending for hospital admissions, a trend encouraged by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that has added 13 years to the life of Medicare’s key trust fund.

• • •

• • •

Tony Carrk: Conservatives Want You To Pay More For The Health Plan You Like

The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is working: The uninsured rate has fallen dramatically since the law went into effect. Newly released data published in The New England Journal of Medicine show that 10.3 million adults gained coverage during the first open enrollment period. According to a recent Commonwealth Fund survey, 60 percent of those with new coverage said they used their coverage to go to the doctor or hospital or to fill a prescription; 62 percent of those people said they would not have been able to do so without their new coverage. Moreover, of those who were looking for a doctor, two-thirds said they were able to get an appointment within two weeks. People are happy with their coverage. Overall, 78 percent of those surveyed said they were either somewhat

satisfied or very satisfied with their new coverage. This is about the same rate as those reported by both people who were previously insured and by those who newly gained coverage. Even 74 percent of self-identified Republicans reported being satisfied with their coverage. The ACA has not only led to millions of Americans getting health care coverage, but it has also benefited the country as a whole. Earlier this month, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, reported that the ACA is helping slow the growth rate of health care costs, which has positive consequences for the federal budget. It is also helping strengthen the solvency of Medicare.

• • •

• • •

In this analysis of nationally representative survey data from January 2012 through June 2014, we found a significant decline in the uninsured rate among nonelderly adults that coincided with the initial open-enrollment period under the ACA. These changes remained highly significant after adjustment for potential confounders such as employment, demographic characteristics, and income. As compared with the baseline trend, the uninsured rate declined by 5.2 percentage points by the second quarter of 2014, a 26% relative decline from the 2012–2013 period. Combined with 2014 Census estimates of 198 million adults 18 to 64 years of age, this corresponds to 10.3 million adults gaining coverage, although depending on the model and confidence intervals,

our sensitivity analyses imply a wide range from 7.3 to 17.2 million adults. Absolute gains were largest among young adults and Hispanics, two groups with high uninsured rates at baseline. We found evidence that within the first 6 months of gaining insurance, more adults reported having a personal doctor and fewer had difficulties paying for medical care — even though the latter measure asked about the prior 12 months. These results are consistent with studies of previous insurance expansions that have shown that gains in coverage can lead to rapid improvements in access. In conclusion, we found that the number of Americans without health insurance declined significantly since the ACA open-enrollment period began in October 2013.

Perfect! That is the absolute truth, jacquelineoboomer. Made me grin and beam. It’s always a challenge for me: Start with now, or try to stay in order? I don’t get to every single thing, but I sure do try to. No wasted words, no wasted images, every single day a delicious and nutritious feast of thoughtful, insightful, worthy, inspiring information, knowledge, spirit and ideas. Sing it with me, baby boomers: “Working my way back to you, girl/TOD, with a burning love inside….”

I wonder about people who have nothing better to do than worry about chemtrails.

They should have be in the LA area when the big bad government was airdropping malathion in the 1990s. Left a sticky yellow goo on cars parked outside at night, but I haven’t heard of a fruit fly invasion recently.

I like that Charles Johnson stays on top of GG – all the time – took some investigation to find the proof of the retweet – it was deleted so quickly – but it was there.

My take on GG – he was perfectly happy for a white President to be invading countries for no good reason & dropping bombs because – white President. His attacks on PBO are very personal – the issues he complains about have been there since forever – but it is only PBO who he attacks for same.

The only time I feel anything for Snowden is when I think about who led him into Russia.

Okay. LL loves to share his menus so I’m going to do that tonight. I had been craving a hamburger all week. Sooooo, grilled a Trader Joe’s non-GMO burger–and did it to perfection :) (Got it off the grill before a down pour). Sweet, tender corn-on-the-cob (non-GMO TJ’), roasted green beans (leftover), sliced cucumber. Oh, had homemade herbed butter on the corn. :) Later will have the last serving of fresh blackberry cobbler. (Served that Sunday night for my Life Group meeting.) I didn’t pick the blackberries. A friend did.

I love to cook and will say I do cook for myself when my hiker hubby is gone. Still eat healthy too!!!

Well, well, he wants protection? Wow. Why? Shalabi(sp) is there in Iraq and has not been assassinated yet. Why not use the Millions he has no doubt stolen be used for his protection? If he was a good leader, then he would have nothing to be fearful about.

This has been Fox’s broadcast of the Chgo Bears preseason game—–until a minute ago. Millions :) of Bears fans are posting photos of their TV screen with angry/humorous tweets. My fave was “the quality of this telecast is still better than the “poop” that is aired on FOXNews”.

I may be wrong, after all, I am not a lawyer. But I don’t think that is a resolution, I think that is a notification. Resolution, I think, would be him asking for authority to something beyond what he, on his own, can do.

Let us wish for the First Family to be relaxing in these chairs, watching the full moon rise from the ocean on Sunday night, and that everyone will leave them in peace for a little while. They need down time. :bear:

One of my very favorite tv shows is So You Think You Can Dance. For anyone who has never watched the show it features young talented dancers wanting a career as a dancer competing for the title of America’s favorite dancer. Really great choreographers work with these top contestants. Having followed dance for years watching my youngest start lessons at three years old through her years in college and attending many reviews and dance concerts I can tell you that you will find no better example of accomplished dance performances.

Anyone else see the long report Steve K. just did on TRMS? I did not remember how GHWB pushed and encouraged the Kurds to overthrow Saddam and how what is happening now can be traced back to that. W used how Saddam had treated the Kurds as a reason to go into Iraq. That I did remember. Bottom line is the Bush guys created this mess and PO is having to try his best to clean it up while nearly everyone question and second guess him. It sucks, really sucks!!!!!

The Bush legacy…..father and son….will take years to clean up! Also, I’m now starting a book on the end of the Soviet Union, which deals with the myths GHWB told about it, and what really happened. Glad Steve K is on this Kurd situation.

I wanted to write an apology, emotions going haywire as of late. I’ve been unhappy with the events that have been happening and am glad that the president has acted on Iraq. I hope the Yazidis are a good people who hopefully can be saved by ISIS which by all accounts is a brutal and evil organization, no other way to describe them. Yet my heart is still with the Palestinians and my disgust for Netanyahu grows. I think Israels government is an authoritarian state that has brainwashed its people in believing that what they are doing is for the greater good. In reality they’ve displaced people for their own personal gain. I’m unsure if Israel or the US will ever wake up and see it for what it is. I know many on here may choose to disagree with me, and that’s fine.

However I will try and keep it civil and stay clear from the subject of Israel. A subject that has soured on me and makes it difficult because I have a friend who is a staunch supporter of Israel. Anyway, I hope that aid and food will come to both Gaza and the people in Iraq.

I haven’t disagreed with most if not any of what you’ve written. Don’t post here much anymore, more a lurker. Your heart is in the right place, and you display you have one that hurts, as does mine. Be at peace with your convictions- you have the right.

Just got this kitchen tool I sent for in a catalog that I intend to try out tomorrow. It is shaped like an hour glass and you hand turn a zucchini in it while the blades make it into zucchini spaghetti. I plan to use it in stir fry. We will see tomorrow it may be a useless bust.

So, 381 + 26 = 407. Ahem, that is quite a bit over a year. How many of us would like to take a year off, well-fed, traveling in luxury, and not a worry in the world? Oh, yes, I have forgotten DickHead Cheney was really the shadow president, and so, the story is told.

So Madame Zizi, Ghana beat Canada in the opeining U-20 WOmen’s World Cup, but Canada just beat Finland so the two countries are now tied for 2nd place in their group. Are you watching, or do you not follow women’s soccer? It was a good game from my perspective, because it was a come-from-behind victory. Half time Finland was 2, Canada 0. Final score 3-2. I iz sew ‘appy (the ladies followed my instructions very closely in the 2ne half). :grin:

LOL, Alycee. You didn’t know what that meant? That’s ok…….just laughin’ with ya.

Btw, did you get my email with my daughter’s info? They went to a comedy club tonight and she got a donation from the couple they sat with. Also had two conversations today about her shaved head……one at Target and one somewhere else.

Yes. I responded on the blog, had intended to email you after my grandson left, however, “life 101″ happened. I took you suggest and multiplied it by seven — honoring grands, nieces, nephews and memorializing my friends son, Jordan.

> Why we miss Rodney Dangerfield
>
> He said…
>
> My wife only has sex with me for a purpose. Last night she used me to
> time an egg.
>
> It’s tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she
> won’t drink from my glass!
>
> Last night my wife met me at the front door. She was wearing a sexy
> negligee. The only trouble was, she was coming home.
>
> A girl phoned me and said, ‘Come on over. There’s nobody home.’ I went
> over. Nobody
> was home!
>
> A hooker once told me she had a headache.
>
> I went to a massage parlor.. It was self-service. ..
>
> If it weren’t for pickpockets, I’d have no sex life at all.
> I was making love to this girl and she started crying I said,
> ‘Are you going to hate yourself in the morning?’ She said, ‘No, I hate
> myself now.’
>
> I knew a girl so ugly… they use her in prisons to cure sex offenders.
>
> My wife is such a bad cook, if we leave dental floss in the kitchen the
> roaches hang themselves.
>
> I’m so ugly I stuck my head out the window and got arrested for mooning.
>
> The other day I came home and a guy was jogging, naked. I asked him,
> ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Because you came home early.’
>
> My wife’s such a bad cook, the dog begs for Alka-Seltzer.
>
> I know I’m not sexy. When I put my underwear on I can hear the
> Fruit-of-the- Loom guys giggling.
>
> My wife is such a bad cook, in my house we pray after the meal.
>
> My wife likes to talk to me during sex; last night she called me from a
> hotel.
>
> My family was so poor that if I hadn’t been born a boy, I wouldn’t
> have had anything to play with.
>
> It’s been a rough day. I got up this morning … put a
> shirt on and a button fell off. I picked up my briefcase, and the
> handle came off. I’m afraid to go to the bathroom.
>
> I was such an ugly kid! ….When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept
> covering me up.
>
> I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and radio.
>
> I was such an ugly baby that my mother never breast fed me. She told me
> that she only liked me as a friend.
>
> I’m so ugly my father carried around a picture of the kid who came with
> his wallet.
>
> When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my
> father, “I’m
> sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through anyway.”
>
> I’m so ugly my mother had morning sickness…AFTER I was born.
>
> I remember the time that I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my
> finger to my father.
> He said he wanted more proof.
>
> Once when I was lost, I saw a policeman, and asked him to help me find
> my parents. I said to him, “Do you
> think we’ll ever find them?” He said, “I don’t know kid. There’s so many
> places they can hide.”
>
> My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday.
>
> I’m so ugly, I once worked in a pet shop, and people
> kept asking how big I’d get.
>
> I went to see my doctor. “Doctor, every morning when I get up and I
> look in the mirror I feel like
> throwing up. What’s wrong with me?” He said…”Nothing, your eyesight
> is perfect.”
>
> I went to the doctor because I’d swallowed a bottle of
> sleeping pills. My doctor told me to have a few drinks and get some rest.
>
> With my old man I got no respect. I asked him, “How can I get my kite in
> the air?” He told me to run off a cliff.
>
> Some dog I got. We call him Egypt because in every room he leaves a
> pyramid. His favorite bone is in my arm.
> Last night he went on the paper four times – three of those times I was
> reading
> it.
>
> One year they wanted to make me a poster boy – for birth
> control.
>
> My uncle’s dying wish was to have me sitting in his lap; he
> was in the electric chair.